Chris Edwards is an Army staff sergeant who was burned over 80 percent of his body when a roadside bomb exploded under his patrol vehicle in Iraq in April 2005. I followed Chris, his wife Tammy and their son Riley for eight months for this three-part story on what it takes for a family to recover from the unthinkable.

The ten problematic homes in West University Place are huge and beautiful — luxurious — ranging in value from $945,000 right up to $2.8 million. Without knowing about a major paperwork oversight, families have lived in the homes for four, five, sometimes up to nine years.

John Lopez of JS Shop in Poteet makes ink pens from cow manure. He said he’ll never run out of supplies in South Texas.

In the thick of a smoke so oppressive that visibility was cut to a couple feet, the shadowy figures of the firefighters drifted in and out of sight. But their voices on the radio were loud and clear.

“We’ve got a victim,” called the tinny voice. “We’re trying to bring him out.”